Nestle strongly reaffirms its view that
genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or ingredients derived from them do not
constitute a health risk, provided they have passed strict scientific
evaluation, and are therefore found to be as safe as their traditional
counterparts.

The company said this following recently
published Greenpeace statements charging Nestle with supporting the use of GMOs
in food production. Greenpeace’s charges came after its representatives from
Thailand, Philippines, Argentina and Switzerland met with Nestle at its
headquarters in Switzerland.

At the meeting, Nestle confirmed its global
position that there are no food safety or quality considerations that would
justify a worldwide corporate decision to avoid using GM crops in food
production. Nestle said the safety of its products and the integrity of the
ingredients from which they are manufactured is paramount. “Genetically modified
crops, as all raw materials used by Nestle, comply with strict regulatory and
safety evaluations. As a responsible corporate citizen, Nestle said it complies
with Government rules and regulations on the use of gene technology, wherever it
operates.

—BusinessWorld (Philippines)

INFACT Canada has learned from representatives
at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency that when there is no substantive
difference between a conventional food and a genetically modified food, safety
tests are not required. In the case of soy based infant formulas, safety tests
are not mandatory as these are “assumed” to be safe based on the subjective and
yet to be defined criteria of “substantial equivalence”. Testing GMO infant
formulas on human infants would be perceived to be unethical, yet a mass
uncontrolled trial with promotion and free samples is apparently not?

Easier? Nestlé
labels violate Canada’s Food and Drugs Regulation.

Despite Nestlé’s claims that it abides by the
laws and regulations wherever it operates, INFACT Canada has launched a
complaint against Nestle with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which
administers the labeling provisions of
Canada’s food laws.

Labels
of Nestlé’s Good Start infant formulas violate the regulations

on two counts:

1. The claim “easier to digest” placed on the
front of its Good Start product is not only false and misleading, but such
health claims are also prohibited.

2. Ingredient listing for products is required
to be on the outside of the label and be readily visible to the purchaser.
Nestlé’s infant formula tins display the ingredient list on the inside of the
label. Parents must purchase the tin and